Edge guide for sewing machines



March 23, 1954 H, RlTTER EDGE GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Feb. 16, 1951 [NVENTOR 57 War-man Bi 13 fev- ATTORNEY WITNESS Patented Mar. 23, 1954 EDGE GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES Herman Ititter, Cranford, N. J assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application February 16, 1951, Serial No. 211,302

8 Claims. (Cl. 112-151) in the direction of feed. The feed-dog then drops below the surface of the throat-plate and is returned in a reverse direction to a point from which it moves upwardly through the throatplate and again forwardly through another feeding stroke.

During'that portion of the feed-cycle in which the feed-dog is moved upwardly through the throat-plate it engages the material being sewed to grip that material against a work-presser commonly in the form of a presser-foot. To insure engagement of sufficient pressure to prevent rel ative movement between the feed-dog and ma-- terial, the feed-dog is raised to such an extent that the Dresser-foot is actually raised from the throat-plate a small amount against the action of a presser-bar spring.

It is desirable, to insure proper functioning of an edge-guide, that the guiding-face of the edgegulde be continually in engagement with the work and the work-supporting bed. Thus, any

edge-guide rigid with the usual presser-bar would be impractical since the presser-bar reciprocates vertically during a sewing operation, and the guiding-face of the edge-guide must remain substantially stationary. This can be accomplished only by producing flexing in the shank of the guide, which results in an early breaking of the guide.

It has been suggested to mount the edge-guide on the stationary machine frame. This construction results in undesirable complications due to fthe fact that the guide should be conveniently -movab1e from operative position to permit the introduction of work into the machine, if the machine is to do other than mere edge-sewing.

It has also been suggested to modify the mounting of the presser-foot upon the presserbar by introducing a spring-pressed pivot or other equivalent structure so that the presser-bar remains substantially stationary and the move ments of the presser-foot are taken upon that pivot. In this construction, the edge-guide can .be mounted. directly upon the presser-bar. :present invention relates to an improvement in The this latter type of edge-guide.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved edge-guid which is inexpensive to manufacture, adapted to be attached to the machine with a minimum of alteration in the machine elements and with a minimum of effort and adjustment to prevent interference with the operation of the machine, and which is readily adapted to perform its intended function.

These and additional objects will be apparent from the following disclosure which sets forth in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of a presser-foot which carries an edge-guide that embodies the present invention, with fragmentary portionsof the sewing machine included to show the relation of the parts.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation view of the presser-foot with the work-supporting surface being shown in section and with a fragmentary portion of the presser-bar included.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a presser-foot which carries an edge-guide embodying the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the edge-guide.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modification of the present invention.

The edge-guide made in accordance with the present invention is particularly adapted for use with a low-inertia presser-foot, although not specifically limited thereto. The presser-foot as shown in the accompanying drawings and described hereinafter is basically the same asthat disclosed in my U. S Patent No. 2,550,499, to which reference is made for a more complete understanding of the present device.

In the drawing there is shown a fragmentary portion of the head I of the sewing machine. Journaled therein for endwise reciprocation is a presser-bar 2 and a needle-bar 3. The needlebar 3 carries at its lower end a needle 4 that is adapted to pierce the work W which is presented to the machine, and to cooperate with a looptaker (not shown) in the formation of stitches. The work W is advanced past the throat-plat 5 and cloth-plate 6 by a feed-dog 1 which is projected through the usual feed-dog slot 8 in the throat-plate 5. Motion is imparted to the feeddog 1 by a feed-bar 9 connected thereto and actuated to effect a lower four-motion type feed. The above construction is conventional and will be well understood by those skilled in the art so it is not deemed necessary to expand this disclosure-in relation thereto.

one end and a plunger l9 at the other. plunger I9 is slidably mounted in the lower end guide thereto.

about the screw 3 I. work-guiding face, is bent downwardly from the horizontal leg 2'! at a right angle into a vertical The presser-device as disclosed in this preferred embodiment comprises a body-member or shank It! provided with a socket H which is adapted to receive the lower end of the presserbar 2. The presser-device can be secured to the presser-bar 2 by means of a screw [2 which is threaded into the presser-bar and which projects through an upwardly open slot l3 formed in a wall of the body-member 10 adjacent the socket l l. Referring to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the side walls of the socket H are tapered inwardly to facilitate positioning and tightening the presser-device on the presser-bar 2. l

The body-member 10 of the presser-device is formed with an integral cylindrical extension M provided with external threads [5 adapted to receive a knurled cap-nut l6. A bore ll is formed in the body-member l and extension i i, and disposed therein is a compression spring l8 abutting against the adjustable cap-nut 16 at The of the bore I? and rotatably carries a transverse .pin 28 that projects through slots 22 formed in the opposite faces of the body-member it; the slots 2| being elongated to extend lengthwise of the bore H. The outer ends of the pin 20 are secured to the upstanding side-plates 22 and 23 of a bifurcated sole-plate 24. This construction provides a low inertia presser-foot in which the sole-plate 24 can move independently of the body-member I 0 and presser-bar 2 in response to the rising and falling movements of the feedthe work. Reference is'again made to the aforementioned U. S. Patent No. 2,550,499 for a more complete understanding of the structure, func tion and advantages of this construction.

The edge-guide, in accordance with the pre ent disclosure, is formed from a single sheet .metal blank and comprises a shank-portion 25 bent intermediate its ends at substantially a right angle to provide a vertical leg 25 and a horiupper end, the vertical leg 26 merges into a lateral projection 28 providing apositioning-face 29 located in-the plane of thevertical leg. Adjacent the positioning-face 29, there is provided a rearwardly extending apertured ear 3!) bent at substantially a right angle, along a vertical line -to the vertical leg 26. A screw 3| passes through the apertured ear 30 and is threaded into the side of the body-member II) to secure the edge- The face 29 abuts against the front vertical wall of the body-member It! to restrain the edge-guide against clockwise rotation A guide-fin 32, having a "throat-plate and to form an abutment against which the work is guided.

The shank-portion 25 of the edge-guide is 'flexible and spring-like in character so that,

when the presser-bar is in, its lowered or operative position, the lower edge of the guide-fin 32 =i siliently urged into engagement with; the work-support. It shouldalso be notedgthat the ,dog andthe usual variations in the thickness of.

guide-fin is of such a vertical height that the sole-plate 24, in its normal rising and falling movements, will not contact that portion of the shank 25 which connects with the guide-fin and thus tend to move the guide-fin vertically from the work-support. By this construction, the guide-fin 32 is positively held in engagement with the work-support and is not likely to become dis.- engaged, thereby maintaining control of the edge of the fabric being guided.

In Fig. 5 there is shown an edge-guide similar to the one above described but differing therefrom in its connection to the body-member ill of the presser-device. In this figure the elements common to those in the device above described carry corresponding numerals. It will be noted in this device that the lateral projection 28 has been modified by being enlarged and apertured to receive the screw 3| which secures the edgeguide to the presser-device, and that the apertured ear 30 has been omitted. Rotation'ofithe edge-guide about the screw 3| is precluded by engagement of the guide-fin 32 with the Outer wall of the slot 33 in the sole-plate 24. This is also true to a lesser extent in the device of Figs. 1-4.

In the present devices, which constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, the edgeguide can be applied to the presser-device withja minimum of alteration of that presser-device,

namely, the slotted sole-plate and threaded resees in the shank to receive the screws 3] and ill. It will also be noted that fixing the edge-guide to the presser-device does not require much care to avoid misaligning it in such a fashion as'to prevent it from functioning properly or to'get itin the path of movement of the needle, but rather, it can be accurately and quickly positioned on the presser-device and secured thereto merely by manipulation of the screw 3| or 3!.

Various changes and further modifications will v suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. For example, the slot 33 in, the sole-plate 24 may be omitted, and the guide-fin 32 may project through and abut against the needle-slot inthe bifurcated sole-plate; or the needle-slot in the sole-plate may be reduced to a needle-aperture, as is common. All such modifications as come within the spirit of this invention are intended to be included within the purview of the appended claims.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. An edge-guide for sewing machines formed from a single blank of spring-like sheetmetalv comprisinga shank-portion, a guide-fin projecting downwardly from one side edge ofone end of said shank-portion, a positioning-face projecting laterally from and substantially in the plane of the other end of said shank-portion on the same side edge thereof as said guidefin, and an apertured ear projecting rearwardly from theuside edge of said shank-portion adjacent to and spaced inwardly from the outer end of said positioning face and lying in a plane substantially at a'right angle to the plane of said shank-portion, said apertured ear being adapted to receivesecuring means for the edge-guide.

2. An edge guide for a sewing machine inv accordance with claim 1, in which said shank-portion includes two leg portions arranged at-substantially a right angle to each other with said guide-fin carried by one of said'legs and said positioning face and apertured ear projecting from the other of. said legs. I ,7 .1 1L;

3. A combined presser-device and edge-guide for sewing machines, comprising a presser-foot having a shank and a work-engaging sole-plate means for mounting said sole-plate upon said shank for pivotal movement about an axis extending widthwise of said sole-plate and for bodily movement with respect to said shank and in a direction transverse to the plane of the work-engaging face of said sole-plate, an edge-guide comprising a work-edge guiding fin extending lengthwise of said sole-plate and intersecting the plane of said work-engaging face, and a resilient finsupporting member secured to said shank and yieldingly biasing said fin for movement edgewise relatively to said sole-plate.

4. A combined presser-device and edge-guide for sewing machines, comprising a presser-foct having a shank and a work-engaging sole-plate means for mounting said sole-plate upon said shank for pivotal movement about an axis extending widthwise of said sole-plate and for bodily movement with respect to said shank and in a direction transverse to the plane or" the work-engaging face of said sole-plate, and an edge-guide mounted upon said presser shank and having a resilient shank-portion, a guide-fin depending from said shank-portion of said edge-guide and resiliently urged toward the plane of said soleplate, a positioning-face projecting laterally from the upper end of and in the plane of said shankportion of said edge-guide, and means for securing said edge-guide to the shank of said presser-device.

5. A combined presser-device and edge-guide for sewing machines in accordance with claim 4, in which said last-mentioned means comprises an apertured ear projecting rearwardly from said shank-portion of said edge-guide adjacent to but spaced inwardly from the outer end of said positioning-face and lying in a plane substantially at a right angle to the plane of said shankportion, said apertured ear being adapted to receive means to secure the edge-guide to the shank of said presser-device.

6. A combined presser-device and edge-guide for sewing machines in accordance with claim 4, in which said positioning-face is apertured and said last-mentioned means comprises securing means adapted to be received within the aperture of said positioning-face for securing the edgeguide to the shank of said presser-device.

7. In a sewing machine having a work-support and a work-advancing feed-dog operating through said work-support, a combined presser and edge-guiding device comprising a presserfoot shank, a work-engaging sole-plate means for mounting said sole-plate upon said presser foot shank for bodily movements relative to said shank toward and from said work-support in response to the work-advancing movements of said feed-dog, and a member mounted upon said presser-foot shank and having a work-edge guiding fin biased into engagement with said Worksupport adjacent said feed-dog, in the operative position of said presser-device.

8. In a sewing machine having a work-support and a work-advancing "feed-dog operating through said work-support, a combined presser and edge-guiding device comprising a presserfoot shank, a work-engaging sole-plate, sole-plate mounting means upon said shank including a pivotal support providing for rocking movement of said sole-plate about a pivot-axis substantially transverse to the line of feed of the work and supporting means for said pivotal support providing for movement of said pivot-axis toward and from said work-support, spring means yieldingly biasing said pivot-axis toward said worksupport, whereby said sole-plate will move bodily relative to said shank responsive to the workadvancing movements of said feed-dog, and a member mounted upon said presser-foot shank and having a work-guiding fin depressed into engagement with said work-support adjacent said feed-dog.

HERMAN BITTER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 601,280 Richards Mar. 29, 1898 793,716 De Voe July 14, 1905 896,522 Ericson Aug. 18, 1908 1,544,410 Jones June 30, 1925 1,726,416 Wenzel Aug. 27, 1929 2,366,113 Kessler Dec. 26, 1944 2,545,980 Vanadia et al Mar. 20, 1951 2,546,172 Smith Mar. 27, 1951 

